It was reported in late May this year that in a Federal divorce case, a marshal of the court was instructed to investigate and monitor a man’s Facebook posts. This seems like a very odd thing until you realise that since its inception, Facebook has changed its default profile settings, meaning that many users are unaware that anyone with an internet connection can see the majority of what occurs on their profile page, including wall posts and photos. The court marshal was therefore monitoring the man’s social media for possible infringements of the Family Law Act, in particular the publication of details of court proceedings. If found guilty of infringing this Act, a person can be sentenced to a year in jail.

The man in question had in fact been infringing the Family Law Act and made claims that the court had been duped by his ex-wife when it came to the matter of child custody. One of the best ways to avoid a similar instance is to simply remember that what you post on social media can potentially be seen by anyone and can hurt your case. Even if you are meticulous in regards to your Facebook privacy settings, many people only consider a few close friends when they make a Facebook post. However, the average Facebook user has over a hundred friends, and as friends, they can easily view your post and pass it along to others. The best thing you can do is to keep social media far away from your case.